UNITED States diplomatic communications released by the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks appear to indicate divisions within the European Union (EU) over Zimbabwe with France said to have called for the removal of sanctions imposed against the country.

France’s apparent change of heart came after the coalition government was appointed in February 2009 following a disputed election fight-off between President Robert Mugabe and long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now the country’s Prime Minister.

The French Deputy National Security Advisor Bruno Joubert put his country’s position to UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa Lord Malloch-Brown during a meeting in Paris in April 2009.

“Joubert (and other officials) all "pressed hard" on UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa Lord Malloch-Brown to support lifting EU sanctions on Zimbabwe,” the cable read.

France also warned that the “EU will begin considering lifting sanctions ‘with or without the UK,’ but would prefer the UK to lead the process”.

Malloch-Brown reportedly conceded that “it was time to begin looking at Zimbabwe as a glass half-full” but claimed that the coalition government had not done “enough yet to merit lifting sanctions”.

Still, senior figures in the British government were also said to still leaning towards hard-line positions on Zimbabwe.

The then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is said to have told his “Italian (counterpart) Romano Prodi that the UK "(would) not support the Government of Zimbabwe until President Robert Mugabe is gone."

The EU imposed the sanctions following allegations of rights abuses and electoral fraud.

However, Mugabe says the sanctions – which he claims were imposed as punishment for his land reforms – are hurting ordinary people adding they were also responsible for the country’s economic collapse over the last decade.

Officials add that the sanctions are holding back efforts to drive the country’s economic recovery.